10 Song Challenge
by phoenixqueen
Summary: Summary: Written for the 10 song challenge: "Take your music player, put it on random/shuffle mode, and write a drabble for each song that plays. You only have the length of the song to write. No lingering!" For now, there's only 10, but there may be more in the future!
1. Chapter 1

Avengers 10 Song Challenge

_**Disclaimer**__: I own nothing in these drabbles. All references to the Avengers belong to Marvel, the songs belong to their respective writers/performers. I'm just playing with the characters, but I'll put them back where they belong when I'm done._

_**Rating**__: G_

_**Summary**__: Written for the 10 song challenge: "Take your music player, put it on random/shuffle mode, and write a drabble for each song that plays. You only have the length of the song to write. No lingering!"_

_**Author's Note**__: First Avengers contribution. I've never read the comics, this is all movie-based or my own imagination. Thanks to the peeps at the Beta Branch for catching my spelling errors!_

* * *

_Black Jack's Lady – Heather Alexander_, _2:58_

Tony came into his house from another mission to see his email alert flashing on his computer screen. He stepped into the robotic arms that would divest him of his suit. "Jarvis, open the new email."

"Yes, sir," the AI's voice said blandly.

A holographic screen popped up in front of his face. Tony scanned it and frowned. "Jarvis, trace this email.'

The text of the email was chillingly simple.

"_I know who you really are, Tony Stark. No matter what face you present to the world, I know you for what you are. You used me and discarded me, and one day, I'll make you pay."_

* * *

_Who You Are – Caedmon's Call, 3:03_

Sometimes it was hard to remember. Despite the fact that he had been seventeen when his parents had been killed in the car wreck, Tony often found himself wondering if his memories were completely honest, especially when it came to his father.

It was never driven home to him more clearly than when two of Fury's SHIELD agents set the heavy grey lockbox down on the floor at his feet and Tony could see the lettering stamped on top. _Property of H. Stark_.

Now, as he watched the footage that his father had recorded and left behind for him to remember, Tony couldn't help but wonder if he had misjudged his father all these years, and confused his obsession with work with a lack of love for his son.

* * *

_People Ain't No Good – Nick Cave, 5:40_

Despite what she had told Loki when he was being held in the cage that the SHIELD scientists had designed for Bruce Banner, it was hard to admit that there could be good people in the world. She had seen far too much in her life, and her experiences had molded her into the deadly assassin that she was. That was the reason that, before she had joined SHIELD she had been indiscriminate in her use of her skills.

However, she knew that Clint was one of those good people. Sure, he'd done things that he was ashamed of, but when it came down to it, he had strong morals and he knew the difference between right and wrong. They had been partners for a long time, and he had spoken with her several times about their future together, both as SHIELD agents and as people. Natasha knew that Hawkeye was more than a little bit in love with her, and she was the same. It was a credit to their training that they were able to work together without letting those feelings get in the way of their missions.

And yet, for some reason, he had never asked her where she had gotten the code name Black Widow from. That was a secret that she was determined to take to her grave with her. It was not, as some suspected, because she could be as deadly as the spider that they believed was her namesake.

No, when it came down to it, people really could be good…but far too often, they were bad.

* * *

_Kokomo – The Beach Boys, 3:38_

"Pepper, when was the last time that you ever took a vacation?" Tony questioned as he made an adjustment on his gauntlet and Pepper sat beside him, organizing the papers that she needed him to sign before he left on his next mission.

"This side of never," she commented. "Keeping up with you is my full time job, Tony. And when I say full time, I mean, _full-time_."

Tony put down his gauntlet and frowned in her direction. "We're going to change that."

Pepper glanced up from her stack of papers. "Pardon me?"

"I'm thinking…sunny island, gentle waves…maybe something like Port Au Prince, or Key Largo."

"Tony, there's no time. The Stark Tower is almost complete, we have to continue the press and work on the zoning for the next three buildings…"

Tony moved to her in swift strides and captured her lips in a breathless kiss. "All that can wait. Pack your swimsuit – and make sure it's a bikini."

* * *

_Gilded Cage – Blackmore's Night, 3:43_

The night had always comforted him. Loki laughed at him, but it was something that was especially comforting to Thor. By day, he had to be a warrior and a prince, surrounded by the trappings of his rank and family. But at night, he knew it for what it was. A gilded cage.

Oh, he knew that when the time came, he would take the throne and rule the people of Asgard well, especially with his experiences with the Midgardians, but it wasn't time yet. It was because of that gilded cage, however, that he found himself spending more and more time on Midgard.

At night, he could look at the stars of the different realms and remember the night that he had spent with Jane Foster, telling her about the Bifrost and his people, and learning in turn about her world. She had even taught him a few songs and played some gentle music from an object she had called an iPod.

If Asgard was a gilded cage, then night on Midgard was peace and security.

* * *

_My Favorite Things – Julie Andrews, 2:19_

"What are some of your favorite things, Natasha?"

The question came from out of left field, and Black Widow turned to look incredulously at Steve Rogers. "What?"

"What are some of your favorite things? I remember baseball, playing games with my best friend Bucky…the soft caress of Peggy's hand on my cheek…" Captain America's voice trailed off and a look of sorrow crossed his face.

Natasha suddenly understood. He missed the home he knew, and he was trying to find a connection with his teammates. She thought about it. "I guess…the quiet of the night time, with the full moon overhead and the stars shining. That perfect peace that lets you just let go of the world and its burdens."

Her team leader looked at her closely for a moment, before he nodded, understanding her unspoken message. Some things were universal, even in this day and age.

* * *

_You'll Be In My Heart – Phil Collins, 4:17_

"_You won't be alone."_

Her voice haunted him, and Steve couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her. She had promised to wait for him at the bar, but he had never shown up. Instead, he had lain in the ice for seventy years. Had she moved on with her life? Gotten married, had children and grandchildren?

He knew that Fury or Coulson could probably tell him if he asked, but Steve was almost afraid to ask the question. What if she had never moved on? The last thing that he would have wanted was for her to live her life alone, waiting for him to return and never knowing if he would.

But at the same time, could he really deal with the truth? Was it better to simply pretend that she had moved on and lived a happy life once the war ended? She had promised him that he wouldn't be alone, but now, in this future world, he was alone. Everyone he had known and loved was dead. Was this new world worth fighting for?

That was the thought that consumed him right up to the moment when Hawkeye crashed the quinjet into the pavement. As soon as the rear hatch opened and he saw people running in terror and screaming, he knew that he had to fight.

"_You won't be alone_."

Standing with his team as Tony landed behind him, Steve knew it was true. Even in this world, he wasn't alone.

* * *

_All I Ask of You – The Phantom of the Opera: Original London Cast, 4:15_

Natasha stood on the deck of the helicarrier, her arms wrapped around her in a futile effort to ward off the cold. Yes, they had won the day in New York, reclaimed the Tesseract, and beat back the forces of the Chitauri that Loki had set against them. They had even succeeded in capturing Loki and restoring the minds of Erik Selvig and Hawkeye.

But Natasha still felt cold. It had been so close. Her head was still throbbing from where one of the Chitauri had landed a blow, despite the medical attention she had received.

"Tasha?"

She stiffened and didn't turn around as she heard Clint's voice behind her.

"The others were asking about you. Stark somehow got hold of some champagne and wants to propose a toast. I told him I would find you."

"I'm not interested," Natasha said quietly.

Clint came up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. It had taken years working as her partner to know when he could safely touch her. "I'm here, Tasha. I'm not going to go anywhere."

"I didn't say you would," the Black Widow bit back, sharply.

There was nothing more to say. All he could do was show her, so they stood together in the cold on the flight deck, sharing the silence of the night.

* * *

_Once in a Garden – Blackmore's Night, 3:32_

Pepper's heart was in her throat as she watched the news footage. The fighting prevented the reporters from getting any really clear shots of the battle, but every so often she could see the very recognizable form of Tony flying around the war zone.

When had she come to care for him so much? He was impulsive, reckless, and at times irresponsible. Yet somehow, he was also caring and kind. Sometimes she wished they could be a normal couple, with a normal dating scene.

Maybe something like a garden setting, with the sun setting behind them as they sat on the grass enjoying a picnic, fantasizing about what their lives would be like together. Then, just as the sun touched the horizon, Tony would kneel down and ask her to marry him. She would of course say yes, and then they would kiss, knowing that they would have a peaceful life with a happy ever after.

Instead, she had a billionaire playboy with an AI for a butler and a genius level intellect.

She wouldn't trade him for anything.

* * *

_On the Edge of the Forest – Meg Davis, 4:32_

"You ready for this Cap?"

Steve looked over at his team. Prominent in his absence was Bucky. The loss of his childhood best friend still tore at him, and he had to remind himself that he was doing this for all of Europe and America, and not for the purpose of revenge. He had promised Erskine that he would remain a good man, and thus far he had.

"Let's go. Take your places. Timing needs to be perfect," he replied as he headed for his motorcycle.

His shield was slung over his back, his leather coat secured around his shoulders. Just as he reached his bike, he saw Agent Carter – Peggy – come up to him. Her gun was holstered at her hip, and he could see the determination in her eyes.

"Be careful, Steve," she said.

"I will," he replied.

He wished that they didn't have to do this, that he could just take Peggy's hand and lead her away from the war and the misery, take her dancing, and maybe finally have a chance at a life. But this forest was dark with the shadow of the war, and until Red Skull was gone, there would be no peace.

So be it. There would be another time, and another place.


	2. Chapter 2

_The Old Village Lantern – Blackmore's Night, 5:15_

It was always nice to come home after a mission. Even after more than a year of being Iron Man, and now working with the Avengers, Tony felt like his life was finally coming together in a more meaningful way. His mansion had always been there, but other than his workshop it had never really felt like _home_. It had just been the place where he lived, that was all.

After the Expo, however, he and Pepper had grown closer together. He had a new lease on life thanks to his father's hidden message, and he was learning to function as part of a team, rather than as the leader who drew all attention to himself whenever he entered a room.

Of course, to be fair, he still did that on occasion, mostly just to piss Fury off. (Well, come on, the guy was so serious, he deserved to have his chain yanked once in a while.)

But far and away, the best part of all of this was Pepper. She somehow understood his drive to be a superhero and avenge the things that he had done when he'd been a weapons manufacturer. She understood the sacrifices that he had to make, and she was willing to work with him to accommodate him in a way that she hadn't when he'd been dying of palladium poisoning and been trying to foist his responsibilities off on her. Now things were different.

Each time he went on a mission, he could come home to lights burning in his house, Pepper sitting up waiting for him in his lab or in the living room, ready with the first aid to treat his bumps and bruises, and then ready to comfort him in the way that he liked best. He _was_ still Tony Stark, after all, and some things would never change.

* * *

_Who Said – Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, 3:29_

Growing up, there had been some people who thought that she would never succeed. She'd been told over and over again that she was worthless.

So she'd set out to prove them wrong. She'd honed her skills until she could do things that no one else could do – or so she'd thought. Then, she'd come back and proved her point. For years, she'd been on the top; one of the best out there. There was nothing and no one that she wasn't willing to work for if it meant money and a challenge.

Of course, pride cometh before a fall. Eventually, she'd met someone who was as good as she was. She would have died if he hadn't made the decision he had. He'd brought her into the fold, and helped her find a place where she could do some good with her skills instead of simply being a killer for hire.

Now things had changed again. Now she was part of a team, and not only could she keep up with the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, and a Norse god, she was a vital member of the team. Despite what others had told her, in the end, it was about what she said she could do, not what they only thought she could do.

* * *

_Tarnished Silver – Heather Dale, 3:51_

"I don't know about this one," Steve said skeptically.

Bruce nodded in agreement. "I kinda have to agree with him, Tony."

"Nah, you guys are crazy. It won't take that long," Tony said, confidently. "I've taken care of worse than this before."

Natasha shook her head. "Tony, I saw you after the Expo, remember? Your helmet literally fell off your head. I think the only time it's been this extreme was the Mark 1, and I never even saw that after you escaped. I only saw the reassembled version at your factory after you blew the arc reactor sky high."

Tony pouted. "Hey, wait a minute. I didn't blow up the arc reactor – that was Pepper."

Natasha snorted. "On _your_ orders."

"We'll leave you to it, Tony. Just hurry. Fury could call us for a mission at any time," Steve reminded him. Together, the rest of the Avenger team left Tony's workshop.

Tony watched them go, before turning to his latest project. "It won't be that bad. A few new pieces here and there, some polish, and some dent removal and we'll be good to go, right Jarvis?"

"In this case, sir, I have to agree with the rest of the Avengers," the AI's computerized voice said blandly.

"Traitor," Tony muttered as he looked over his suit – or rather, what remained of it after Hulk practically tore it off his body, Thor accidentally electrocuted him, his thrusters failed and he fell to a hard landing from ten stories up, and the Super Adaptoid tossed him into the back of a cement truck filled with wet cement waiting to be poured. "It's just a little tarnish."

"I think not, sir."

* * *

_Faith of the Heart – Rod Stewart, 4:17_

All of his life, he'd known one thing. He wanted to fight. He wanted to have the chance to prove that the little guy could do great things if he was given a chance. He endured being beat up day in and day out for his belief. He endured his friends telling him it wasn't worth the pain, just to prove a point.

Then Erskine had come along, and Steve Rogers, the little guy from Brooklyn, had his chance to make something of himself. After the successful experiment, however, he still had to wait. He made a spectacle of himself, believing that he was being patriotic, when it reality, he was serving the congressman's agenda without realizing it. His naïveté was working against him.

It wasn't until he had gone behind enemy lines to rescue Bucky, came out a hero having saved four hundred men, and finally shown what he was capable of, that he felt like he was really making a difference. Then he had a purpose. He had met Red Skull, and he had a job to do: stop him. That was the drive that motivated him, especially after Bucky died.

Now, seventy years later, he was faced with the same crisis of conscience. What was his purpose in this new world? Was there still a need for the old-fashioned heroes of the war, or had this new century moved on without him?

He was about to get his chance to find out, because he'd always had faith that he was meant for something important – not out of vanity, but out of a sincere belief that the little guy could do just as much as a big guy if he was given a chance.

* * *

_Can't Stop the Music – The Village People, 3:39_

Natasha stormed downstairs to Tony's lab. "Stark! Turn that damned noise off before I rip all of your speakers out of the walls and ceilings!"

Tony blinked and looked up from the engine of his hot rod. "Good morning to you too, Ms. Romanoff. May I remind you, it is _my _house?"

"You invited us all to live here, jackass," Black Widow snapped, leveling the point of one of her knives at him. "Not all of us want to be woken up to the sound of Black Sabbath at three in the morning!"

Tony just smirked at her. "Does someone need her beauty sleep?"

"Bad move, Stark," Clint said, coming downstairs running a hand through his sleep mussed hair and grabbing hold of Natasha with the other hand. "Believe me."

"Try this, Stark," Natasha suggested, her voice dropping to more normal volume, although her tone promised extreme violence if he didn't heed it. "If I don't get enough sleep, I tend to turn psychotic. And if you think Banner is bad when the other guy comes out to play, you haven't seen _anything_ yet. Now turn that crap off!"

Clint waited until Natasha stormed away. "I'd listen to her Stark. Nat's bad side makes the Hulk look like a fluffy kitten. I know; I was the one who first recruited her to SHIELD, remember. I was the one who had to deal with her in those early days – I used to piss her off without even trying."

"Clint! Start telling stories about me, and it'll be your ass that's grass!" Beat. "After I deal with Stark!"

Tony considered for a moment. "Mute."

* * *

_Happy Working Song – Amy Adams (Enchanted), 2:09_

"Okay, a couple of ground rules," Pepper said as she showed each of the Avengers to their new suites in the mansion. "Jarvis runs the house. He'll monitor communications for everyone, and he controls security. There's a housekeeping service that comes in twice a week and cleans _everything_, so if there's something you don't want disturbed, making sure it's safely put away before they get here."

"That's not so bad," Clint commented. "I thought we'd all have to pitch in on keeping things clean."

Tony snorted. "If you want to play Snow White and keep the place clean, Barton, I won't object. Do I need to find you a couple of hairy guys to help you? Or would you prefer your fluffy animal friends?"

Clint glared. "I hate you, Tony."

* * *

_Miss You – Westlife, 3:52_

The cave was always dark. Yinsen seemed able to sleep without a problem, but then again, who knew how long he'd been here before Tony'd arrived. Somehow, the good doctor had been able to either convince the terrorists to not risk Tony's already fragile condition with further torture, or perhaps they'd already figured it out and they were simply making a point as to what they _could_ do.

He missed home. He missed good American food, the booze, the women, the fast cars…he hadn't realized how good his life was until it was all taken away. But maybe that was his punishment for what had happened to those soldiers. He'd designed those weapons to protect them from America's enemies…and instead, he'd watched them get slaughtered by those very same weapons. How had the terrorists gotten hold of his weapons? Where was the accountability?

But if he was honest with himself, all those trappings of his life were really nothing. What he really missed was Pepper. Something about her calm, organized façade in the face of all the chaos and disorder he'd thrown her way had been soothing to him, and he hadn't ever realized it. He'd taken her for granted. She'd been there taking care of him and putting his fires out for ten years – he'd assumed that she'd always be there for him.

But she wasn't here now. If he was going to get out of his, he was going to have to do it himself. That was the only way that he'd be able to ensure that things were changed, and that he could go back to Pepper and apologize for the way he'd treated her all these years. He still felt shitty for forgetting her birthday again. After all she'd done, and he couldn't even remember her birthday.

_I'll get out of this, Pepper…and I'll make it up to you. I promise._

* * *

_I Have Been There (Live Version) Mark Schultz, 5:37_

"Do you know what it's like to be unmade?"

The quiet question seemed to echo in the room, even though the room had no echo. Natasha paused from where she was pouring him a cup of water. Was this the last remnants of Loki talking through Clint, or was this the real Clint? She twisted her head to study him.

On the surface, he was the same man that she'd known for years. He was pale and a little sweaty from the ordeal he'd gone through at Loki's hands, but other than the few darkening bruises from where she'd beat on him during her fight to get him back from Loki's control, he was the same.

His question still hung there, waiting for an answer. How did she answer that? Should she mention the years of conditioning that she had gone through, the training that had made her the ultimate assassin? Should she ignore the question? Clint knew most of it – it wasn't a secret to him, because she'd confided in him early on in their partnership. At the time, she'd been trying to disgust him, to get him to give up on her. At that point, she hadn't wanted his pity or his help. She'd never had any reason to be disappointed with her life until she met him.

No, looking out of the eyes of her friend now was her friend. It was all Clint – not Loki, not a delusional Clint looking for an excuse. Just a man who was desperate to know that he wasn't alone in being used.

"You know I do."

* * *

_Manic Monday – The Bangles 3:06_

Hulk's roar punctuated the chaos of the city streets as Steve looked around for the rest of his teammates. Tony was on perimeter again – his mobility and his flight advantage in his suit made him the ideal scout and perimeter guard, because in the air he could move faster than any of them, with the exception of Hulk, who would just smash everything in his path and make a hole if there wasn't one.

Thor and Natasha were corralling the stray androids that had been turned to destructive purposes by their embittered creator when he didn't get the grant money that he'd been looking for. Clint was chasing the inventor down.

And Steve?

Steve was still trying to come to terms with the fact that it was only Monday.

* * *

_Play, Minstrel Play (Live Version, Paris) – Blackmore's Night, 4:56_

"How do we keep getting into these situations?" Tony asked, somewhat redundantly. "I mean, okay. Loki was one thing – he made it personal. But I distinctly recall telling Cap that I wasn't going to march to Fury's fife."

"Give it a rest, Stark," Natasha said from her corner. "Fury's an asshole, but he's not a bad guy. He just doesn't see things the way others do."

"Well, that's obvious," Tony snarked, covering one of his eyes in a mock imitation of Fury's eye patch. "I didn't know loss of vision also meant loss of personality, however."

"Some could argue the same for you," Banner commented from where he was huddled under a blanket after deHulking. "Some would say you had more of a personality when you were playing the drunken playboy every night."

"I resemble that remark," Tony replied.

The radio suddenly crackled into life. "_Avengers, can you hear me?"_

"No, Fury," Tony said before anyone else could. "We're just playing jacks and tic-tac-toe down here while we wait for you to come and rescue us."

"_All right then. Contact me when you're ready to get out of there."_

"Stark, shut up! Boss, get us out of here, or I swear you'll be minus one Iron Man," Natasha snarled. "I'll rip his damn arc reactor out myself if I have to stay trapped down here with him."

"_Can I sell tickets?" _Fury asked after a moment.

"You'd get free admission," Natasha replied promptly.

"_Done."_


	3. Chapter 3

_Ding, Ding! Round three! Hope everyone enjoys! Read and Review, if you would!_

* * *

_Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word – Clay Aiken, 3:44_

He had never been accustomed to sharing his feelings with anyone. It was just something that was not often considered in Asgard. Oftentimes, Loki had been able to wring some emotion out of him, but most of the time, Thor presented a stoic front to the world.

Now was not that time.

He was standing with the rest of his teammates, watching as the SHIELD folk went through their version of rites for the honored dead. A strange flag in the same colors as those borne by Captain Rogers was draped over the wooden box in which the Son of Coul lay.

The burial ground was isolated and quiet, and this was something that Thor was unused to. On Asgard, a death was celebrated with stories and songs about the fallen one. After all, how could one be properly remembered without the telling of songs?

One by one, his fellow Avengers stepped up to the box that had been lowered into the ground while he'd been thinking about the rites of his own people. Each of them tossed a handful of dirt on top of the box. When it was Thor's turn, he copied the gesture, foreign though it was to him. But it didn't feel like enough.

He had never been good at expressing his feelings, but…

"Forgive me."

* * *

_The Wonder of It All – Point of Grace, 4:10_

Everything had changed so much. Now the world was full of noise and lights, and sleeping at night was impossible. Sure, New York had been busy in his time, but at least people knew to go to sleep at night.

Steve stood on the balcony of the apartment that SHIELD had leased for him, wondering how he could possibly adapt to this new world. Everyone he knew and had cared about was gone. He had a broken promise to Peggy on his conscience, and he had no idea what had happened to the rest of his team in the wake of the attack on the final HYDRA base. He was fairly sure that the one-eyed man called Fury could tell him, but he was afraid to find out.

He was lost and he didn't know where to turn. In his time, when he had felt lost and confused, it had been his faith that had kept him going. It was his faith in Dr. Erskine that had given him the confidence to go through with the super soldier project; faith that he would get his chance to make a difference that had allowed him to put on the Captain America suit for the first time and perform that ridiculous war bonds act with the dancing girls. It was faith that Bucky would still be alive that had given him the confidence to go after his friend when he'd heard that he'd been lost behind enemy lines.

Was his faith strong enough to get him through this new world and this new situation? He didn't know. He didn't know what to believe any more.

* * *

_Livin' La Vida Loca – Antonio Banderas & Eddie Murphy (Shrek 2 Soundtrack), 3:24_

Bruce couldn't figure out how Tony did it and managed to stay sane. How could the man mange to run a multi-billion dollar company, work as an Avenger, find time to tinker and invent the multitude of things always coming out of his lab, and maintain any kind of social life?

Yet somehow, the genius billionaire managed exactly that. The proof was on the screen in front of him.

He'd just come out of his own lab in search of something to drink and, on a whim, had turned the TV on, intending to catch a few minutes of the news. And there, in glorious high-definition color, was Tony Stark, in a tuxedo at some kind of red carpet shindig, Pepper Potts on his arm, as he schmoozed with the best and brightest in Hollywood and the high society that he belonged to.

Bruce watched for a moment as Tony spoke to a couple of buxom blondes he suspected to be _Playboy _bunnies, before he turned away and escorted Pepper off camera. For the life of him, he'd never understand how Tony managed it.

* * *

_Change – Taylor Swift, 4:40_

Steve was sure, if he was more familiar with the current century, and more like Tony Stark, that he'd have some fairly vulgar things to say about the current situation they found themselves in.

Thor and Banner were gone, ejected from the helicarrier mid-flight. Natasha was injured, however slightly, even if she had managed to capture Barton. Loki had escaped, and the helicarrier was barely managing to stay in the air. Worst of all, at least as far as Steve was concerned, was that Phil Coulson was dead.

He sat through Fury's explanation on the bridge, watched silently as Stark got up and stormed off the bridge without saying anything. He wasn't sure he believed everything Fury said anymore, but the one thing that he was certain of was that the man was telling the truth about Phil Coulson dying for the old-fashioned ideals of being a hero. Something about the other agent had rung true for Steve, and had convinced him that this whole team thing might work once they'd all been assembled on the helicarrier.

He followed Tony to the room where Coulson had died. He didn't know why, but he had the sense that this was something he had to do. Tony wasn't much like his father, other than being a genius, but Steve had the sense that if he could be persuaded to help stop Loki, Tony Stark would be a powerful asset for their side. No matter what they thought of SHIELD and Fury, Earth was still in danger.

It was time things changed.

* * *

_Familiar's Promise – Heather Alexander, 5:22_

Pepper knew that Tony had changed after Afghanistan – and not just in the obvious ways. Certainly, he was determined to shut down the weapons manufacturing division of the company. With his Iron Man suit, taking out the weapons that he had previously created before they could be used to hurt others was another gesture that she had had trouble accepting at first, but as things progressed, she came to understand and accept why Tony had felt that he had to do it.

No, it was the subtle changes that no one else saw, because no one else was around him as often as she was, especially after the Expo. It was the way that Tony no longer enjoyed going underwater, something that she had not known anything about until they started sleeping together. It was the way that he became more distant from people, with the exception of herself and Rhodey; and even around the two of them, he was cautious. She could always see the hint of fear in his eyes; fear that they would one day betray him, just like Obadiah had.

It was there in other, more subtle ways. At social gatherings, Tony could still socialize and mingle with people, but now he limited himself to one glass of alcohol, and he kept people well outside his personal space. He no longer sought the company of a different woman every night, and instead stayed close to Pepper all night long, from the moment they left the mansion until the moment that they retired to bed for the evening.

But it was the night terrors that showed the most change in Tony Stark. Nights when he would wake up screaming, covered in sweat and trembling. She would wake and hold him close, trying to protect him from whatever horrors he was seeing when he closed his eyes. But despite that vulnerability, he still remained closed off, refusing to cry or give voice to his feelings.

And it only made her private promise to keep him safe that much stronger. As long as he wanted her beside him, her love for him would never die.

* * *

_Way Up Here – Rebecca St. James, 3:39_

Throughout his whole life, he'd had voices on all sides of him, telling him what to do. He was told what school to attend, what he should study, how lucky he was for being who he was. It was for that reason, after his parents died, that he set out to live life on his own terms. Although he quickly learned that even under his own terms, he had voices telling him what to do. Some were subtle, like Obadiah advising him in what direction to take the company. Some were more obvious, like the women who threw themselves at him, desperate for a night of his company.

But here, in the clear blue sky, it was just him. Here the only voice was Jarvis, and he could easily ignore or mute the AI if he needed to.

Up here, he could see the horizon, the whole world if he chose and went high enough. Here, he could settle on the peak of a high mountain and just sit and think if he wanted to, or he could enjoy the freedom of flight that few others could manage.

Up here, it was a better place.

* * *

_Y.M.C.A. – Village People, 4:49_

"Tony, can I borrow one of your cars?"

Tony looked up in surprise at the quiet question. "Sure, the keys are over there on the rack. Where are you off too?" The inventor stood up from his workbench and stretched, feeling his neck pop.

"Just an errand that I want to run. Do you mind?" Bruce asked, shifting his grip on a briefcase that Tony hadn't even known he owned.

"Nope." His curiosity peaked; Tony followed his fellow genius over to the aforementioned key rack. "Mind if I tag along?"

Brue hesitated for a moment, and then shrugged. "I suppose so, but it's probably not going to be very interesting for you."

"Lead the way," Tony said, as he followed Bruce to one of his many sporty cars. While Tony normally preferred to drive, this time he slid into the passenger's seat without a word of protest, knowing that Bruce didn't get many opportunities to enjoy the feeling of driving a car as sleek and fast as the ones that he owned.

It wasn't long; however, before Tony's interest reached stratospheric levels. They were heading out of the ultra-modern area of Manhattan to one of the poorer boroughs. And a few minutes after that, they were pulling to a stop in front of a building that looked as if it had seen better days, but wasn't quite on the level of being condemned…yet.

It was the sign that caught his attention, however. "YMCA? What are we doing here?"

"Places like this were my refuge when the Army was hunting the other guy. Granted, in some of the Third World countries, they were worse off than this, but that doesn't matter. The point is that the people who come here need help," Bruce explained. "People at shelters like this helped me when I needed it most, and I like to return the favor when I can. I can't do much, but I do have some medical training, and every so often all people need is someone to talk to, or some chores that need doing. I can help there too."

"Huh." Tony knew that he had given plenty of money to charitable organizations over the years. One of the best known was the Firefighters' Family Fund in Malibu, but he had always thought that money was enough. He'd never considered actually coming to a place like this and getting his hands dirty. Without even meaning to, Bruce had opened his eyes to a new set of possibilities. "Lead on, buddy."

* * *

_You Two – Dick Van Dyke (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Soundtrack), 2:52_

"Tony, why the hell do you keep doing this to yourself?" Rhodey asked as he watched Tony limp across his garage towards one of the many tool cabinets that lined the workshop half of his garage.

His friend had returned from his latest mission with his suit smoking and badly damaged. Worse off was the fact that Tony had, once again, managed to injure himself. It was only the fact that his friend's arc reactor was still glowing brightly through the fabric of his shirt that had convinced Rhodey that Tony was generally all right.

"I have to do this Rhodey. My weapons put people in danger. I have to stop more people from getting killed by them. You know that."

"But…Tony, you've got everything you could possibly want. Why do you want to keep risking your life?" Rhodey was frustrated with his friend's stubbornness. "If you wanted to help us locate the weapons, that's one thing, but the military knows all about your weapons. They could take them out."

Tony shook his head. "I don't know who I can trust, except you, Rhodey. I know Stane was responsible for selling a lot of those weapons, but how many others were stolen from the army and sold on the black market? I have no way of knowing that, or knowing who to trust." A look of haunting pain flashed across Tony's face. "On top of that, I made a promise," the inventor said in a near-whisper.

After a moment, however, Tony's face relaxed. "Besides, I may have everything, but there is something that I have that no one else does."

Rhodey raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"You two. You and Pepper."

* * *

_Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me – Elton John, 5:38_

"_I've got to put her in the water."_

"_Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out."_

"_Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer, a lot of people are going to die. Peggy. This is my choice. Peggy?"_

"_I'm here."_

"_I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."_

"_All right. A week, next Saturday, at the Stork Club."_

"_You got it."_

"_Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?"_

Eight o'clock had come and gone.

He hadn't shown up. Steve had never broken his word as long as she'd known him, which meant that he wasn't around to keep his promise. That was the only thing that could have kept him from being there.

Their final conversation haunted her. Before she had met Steve, she had never met a man that she cared to socialize with more than casually except for Howard Stark, and Howard was already happily married. It was never anything more than a casual friendship between them, despite Steve's comments about "fondue-ing" that one time.

But Steve…there had been a painfully shy naïveté about him, despite his courage, good humor, and honor. It was refreshing to be around him, and it had given her hope that they might be able to work something out.

As she packed up files in the boxes as the war ended, she tried to keep her mind on business. She thought she was succeeding, until the General brought Steve's file over to her. When she opened it and saw the pictures of him, she couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

* * *

_This is Where I Belong – Bryan Adams (Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron), 2:21_

It had taken a long time for him to feel comfortable with the group. To be sure, it had started during the fight in New York, when they had beaten back the Chitauri and Steve had given him his trust. He'd already had a connection with Natasha, but when Captain America looked at him and trusted that he and his partner could help rescue the people trapped up there and keep the aliens off his ass, that little bubble of trust had started to form.

It had continued to grow after the fight, as they were sent on more and more missions together, slowly becoming a team in more than words. Even though he resisted moving into Stark Tower once it had been repaired, he still found himself there fairly often when they were not on a mission. Day by day, mission by mission, he found himself growing closer to the, as he'd heard Bruce had put it "chemical mixture that makes chaos".

But finally, he knew that the time had come when he didn't want to be separated from this rather remarkable group of people. Everything he had wanted was right in front of him. He had friends and teammates he could trust, a home that was safe and secure thanks to Tony's incredible technology.

Yes. This was where he belonged.


End file.
